Today’s post is about a new gluten free discovery I made a few days ago! A delicious and gluten free friendly Thai restaurant chain with many locations around London. So you know what that means, safe gluten free Thai food in close enough proximity nearly anywhere you are in the city! YES. Being a long time Thai food lover, it’s surprising that I didn’t hear about this place sooner. But after dining at the Islington branch, a new gluten free Rosa’s Thai Cafe fan has joined the club. 😉

Rosa’s Thai Cafe

Location: multiple locations around London | full list with addresses & opening times {here}

Tried and tested: Islington branch

Gluten free status: they have a gluten free menu and the staff are knowledgable about gluten.

Price: about £10 for a main dish (excluding rice) so a bit more expensive than the average Thai restaurant.

Bonus: some of them do home deliveries

I walked by Rosa’s Thai Cafe a million times before, but without ever registering it. Most of the time I walk down the street with my ‘Coeliac filter’ on, ignoring anything to do with food that doesn’t visibly apply to me. So I’m glad I stumbled on a Trip Advisor review by accident because this place is really excellent. Great food, cosy atmosphere, very friendly and attentive staff. Very enjoyable all round.

How safe is Rosa’s Thai Cafe for Coeliacs?

I think it’s exciting because I’ve been struggling to find Thai restaurants that I trust. Even though Thai food is technically meant to be largely gluten free friendly (if cooked authentically), two problems often arise:

Either the staff don’t speak english very well so it’s difficult to communicate about Coeliac Disease, gluten and cross-contamination. Or the food isn’t authentic and has gluten (in the form of soy sauce or what not) added in things that normally wouldn’t contain any.

I know some people would just assume that curries are fine and risk it, but I’m one of those anxious Coeliacs who always lean on the side of caution. The kind that won’t eat anywhere without asking a million questions, researching the restaurant online, reading countless reviews… it’s never a simple affair. lol

So to find a gluten free friendly and fully aware Thai restaurant makes life a lot easier.

As soon as I walked in Rosa’s Thai Cafe and mentioned their gluten free menu, it was clear that the waiters are knowledgable and have good training about gluten and allergens. I asked if it’s safe for Coeliacs, cross-contamination wise, and their response was very positive and confident; instantly reassuring.

And by the way, they have a separate gluten free menu so there’s less chances of mix ups when ordering. 🙂

The Food

Now onto the food, the best part. My boyfriend and I ordered two curries (red and green) and two portions of rice (jasmine and coconut) to share.

Seeing as it was our first time testing Rosa’s Thai Cafe, we stuck to ‘safe’ dishes like curries. I always avoid dishes that carry more risks of cross-contamination the first time (or when restaurants are too busy). Like noodles that normally contain soy sauce or fried stuff.

At this point I was already happy no matter of how the food might turn out, but they easily passed the second test!

The red curry was especially good, my favourite without a doubt! It was the right consistency (runny and not too thick, just like Thai curries should be), with a bold round flavour and the perfect amount of spiciness. Chilli, but not to the point of being painful. lol It was a touch sweeter than I’m used to, but not in a boring mild way. The amount of chilli balanced it out nicely. And it fit perfectly with the coconut rice.

I enjoyed the green curry as well, lots of yummy bamboo shoots in there, but it’s definitely milder. A good option if you’re not big on spices, but otherwise I recommend the red curry instead.

All in all the food is great, really tasty and uses good quality ingredients.

Will I go back? Absolutely!

The Price

The only (slight) downside is the price. Not that it’s super expensive, but it’s a bit pricier than the average Thai restaurant for sure. Not by that much, but it adds up. Our bill for 2 curries, 1 jasmine rice, 1 coconut rice and 2 glasses of wine added up to £47. It’s not that bad, especially for London, but it is a bit more expensive.

The service & atmosphere

Excellent. As I said above, the waiters were very friendly and attentive and the service was pretty quick. The place looks nice and cosy too. I look forward to checking out some of the other branches. 🙂

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Kimi

Just a random Coeliac trying to help you live your best (gluten free) life. Let me know what you think and if you have any requests for recipes you’d like to see me make, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment!